WATER SUPPLY FOU PASTORAL PURPOSES. MR. MORT'S act in placing; ten guineas in the hands of the Society, for tho purpose of drawing out a good treatise on the "Storage of Water for Pastoral Purposes," is likely to he followed hy a better result than he anticipated. The Council, perceiving the importance of the proposal, withheld thc announce- ment of the prize until such a sum should bc obtained &amp;nbsp; as would be likely to command the attention of com- petent men, and induce these to compete who are capable of making an acceptable addition to our knowledge. The wisdom of the delay is proved by the result, a much wider scope having been given to the inquiry than was at first proposed. Instead of ten guineas, tile sum of one hundred and twenty-five guineas has been subscribed, the names of the con &amp;nbsp; tributors being inserted in the report of the Society's proceedings during thc month. The scope of the in- quiry to be instituted appears from the following draft draw...

THE DAIRY. BUTTER AND BUTTER MAKING. CAUSES OF BAD BUTTER. THE causea of bad butter are numerous. Careless ness and ignorance of the true principles of butter making; depasturing on poor land,or new land; bad water for the cows, bad salt in the butter ; dirty rooms for the cream ; the presence of foul smells in the dairy, and the want of proper appliances for keeping milk, cream, and butter at the requisite temperature. These are among the causes assigned for the immense quantities of inferior buttor sent to market. It is evident, however, that something more than the avoidance of all these is essential to successful buttcr-making ; and another very essen tial requisite is summed up in the recommendation o an old and experienced butter-maker, viz. : " When you have all the requisites that money can buy, you cannot do without a clean, careful, skilful woman to manage the work." . &amp;nbsp; TUE QUALITIES OF BUTTER. It is difficult to say what constitutes bad butler, for the meani...

LITERATURE. A BATCH OF RECENT NOVELS. LEONOKA CASALONI ; Or, Tho Marriage* Secret. By T. Adolphus Trollopo,-author of " Gemma," &amp;c. STRETTON. A Novel. By Horny Kingsley, author of "Ravenshoe," &amp;c, &amp;c. THE DEAD GUEST. A mysterious story. By Hein rich Zschokko. Translated from tho German by George 0. Mac Whortor, M.A. THE HABER-MEISTER. A talo of the Barngian Moun tains. Translated from tho Gorman of Hermann Schmid. WATERLOO. A Sequel to Tho Conscript. By Erck mann-Chatrain. THE SACRISTAN'S HOUSEHOLD. A Story of Lippe Detmold. By tho author of " Mabol's Pro gress," etc. etc. With illustrations. "LEONORA CASALONI" bears tho name of Trollope on its titlo-pago. But T. Adolphus Trollope is a much cleverer man than his brother. Georgo Elliot has AvrittenthemostadmfràbleEnglish-Italiannovel. None other stands bosido it. But aftor it comes Adolphus Trollope's ina creditablo rank. Ho is notaman of high imagination, but ho is scholarly, philosophical, and pootic in temp...

DUBBO. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] THE main topics of interest which engage tho nows- I paper correspondent in this quarter are (1) pastoral, including the movements of stock ; (2) agriculture, (3) i mining, and (4) local occurrences. In this order tile several interests can bc dealt with more intelligibly, because under each head there is room for amplfication, j or for those general observations which can only bo ] progressively recorded. My ami will bc to give a faithful reflex of the district and tho general condition, progress, and prospects of its principal enterprises. So far as stock and station intelligence is concerned, you will have tho most reliable data, ns I have received tho kind co-operation of Mr. li. G. Goodisson, Dubbo [agent to Messrs. Powers, Rutherford, and Co. "Wagga Wagga ; and of Mr. "W. L. Murphy, agent ,to Messrs. George Forsyth and Co., Deniliquin; and Messrs. Dalmahoy Campbell, and Co., of Melbourne. Their current weekly reports will bo found in anothe...

QUICKSILVER. VARIETIES OF ORE, ITS GEOLOGICAL OCCURRENCE, AND METALLURGY. &amp;nbsp; THE recent discovery of quicksilver-bearing ores in this country, is a matter, the importance of &amp;nbsp; which, in a commercial point of view, is not yet fully recognised. So littlo, moreover, is known of this mine- ral, and its mode of treatment, that a record of the ex- periences gained elsewhere may probably prove use- ful in assisting in the development of this new colonial industry. This paper is intended to show what geological conditions are necessary for the existence of quick- silver ores, the most favourable of those conditions and specially to point out the improved modern ap- pliances for its metallurgic treatment. Of the quicksilver ores in this colony little is at present known ; at Cudgegong it exists in talcose, and argil- laceous schists, indentical with the ores of Almaden in Spain, and California. Native mercury has been found at Frederick's valley creek, in the great w...

GOULBURN TO BUNGONIA AND BRAIDWOOD. GOULBURN. - This square-built, neat, and well-to-do looking town is situated in almost a basin of trappean formation, and watered by that river of many names, the Wollondilly. The soil on the lower ground is good, being on the red whinstone, chiefly varied by basalt. Immediately around Goulburn itself this rock appears narrowed by ranges of schistose, and probably aurifer ous character ; the Cookbundoon Ranges, running N. and S., and commencing about ten miles N.E, of the town ; and the Bungonia Ranges, spurs of which come close up to it. But to the N. the whinstone opens out and some first-class land is occupied in farming, and where possessed of a retentive substratum of clay, forms ground that wheat will thrive in without rain for al- &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; most the term of its "natural life." Tho soil is a reasonable depth in patches, but in some places is stony to tho surface, and almost useless. &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; To the so...

Pedestrianism. ATHLETIC SPORTS ON MELBOURNE CRICKET GROUND. About 10,000 people assembled on the above place of amusement, to witness the first trial of our colonial peds, against the English champions. Great disap pointment was expressed at the Englishmen doing so badly ; but it was impossible for the men to be in con dition after their long voyage. 170 Yards Handicap Flat Race, in which F. Hewitt will start from scratch. Drake, 12 yards, 1st; Cummings, 6 yards, 2nd. Two Miles Handicap Walking Match, in which Top ley will start from scratch. Lyall, 90 yards, 1st; F. W. Woodhouse, 70 yards, 2nd. Topley gave in in the 7th lap. Half-mile Handicap Flat Race, in which Bird will start from scratch. M. Higgins, 16 yards, 1st; Cronk, 22 yards, 2nd. One Mile Handicap Flat Race, Bird starting from scratch. Ford, 65 yards, 1st ; Poynting, 90 yards, 2nd. j Bird gave up. Four Miles Handicap Walk, Topley starting from scratch.. F. W. Woodhouse, 140 yards, 1st; Lyall, 180 yards, 2nd. Topley only ...

CRICKET IN NEWCASTLE. MAITLAND V. NEWCASTLE. The above match came oft' on Saturday on the cricket ground near St. John's Church, Lake Macquarie Road, Newcastlo proving victorious in ono innings, with 20 runs to spare. The batting of Mr. G. Gilbert, of the Maitland team, was very much admired, he having played a not out in each innings for tho scores of 20 and 8. None of tho others obtained double figures. Messrs. Moore, Gilbert, Jones, and Gorrick bowled for Maitland. For Newcastle, MCBSIS. Tracey and Boeston obtained double figures, Tracey making a fine innings of 33 runs, and Bcoston of 17 runs. Messrs. Tracey and lawrence bowled for Newcastlo all through the innings. At the termination of tho match, a lunoheon was partaken of on the gpound. Appended aro tho Bcores : MAITLAND. l'IIWT INNINGS, J. Soiling, b Tracey Benuott, c J. Hoguo, b Law rence J. Mooro, b Lawrence.. G. Gilbert, not out Boydell, run out M. Patrick, c J. Hoguo, b Lawrence. H. Jones, b Tracey .. .Tepps, b Tracey G....

The Alleged Fraud on the E., S., and A. O. Bank. CENTRAL POLICE COURT.-TUESDAY, 11TH J AN. (Before Captain Scott, P.M.) J. Salisbury and J. Gregg, under remand, were brought before the Court, charged with conspiring to defraud the English, Scottish, and Aus tralian Chartered Bank of £400. Mr. W. Roberts ap peared for tho prosecution, and Mr. Sly for thc prisoner Salisbury. Before the case was proceeded with the prisoner Gregg said : Before the case is gone on with I would like to make a few remarks. When I was arrested in Goulburn by detective Lyons I was taken to tho watch house, and was there searched by tho sergeant, who behaved in a very unmanly manner. Detective Lyons however, treated me as a man, and not as a beast like those fellows in Goulburn did-J He asked me questions which I answered j they were committed to writing, and I signed it. 1 wish now to withdraw those state-1 ments because I believe I was criminating myself. Let tho thing stand on its own merits. HÍB Worship C...

The Late Fire at the Town Hall. I An inquest into tho cause of tho late fire at the Town Hall was commenced yesterday, at tho Town Hall, before the City Coroner and a jury of twelve. Mr. R. Driver, city solicitor, was present, and examined the witnessos. Aldermen-Chapman, Bow, Macintosh, and Kippax were also present during part of the investiga tion. The first witness examined was Charles Henry Wool cott, who deposed : I am town clerk of the Municipal Council of the city of Sydney. Tho house No. 61 York street is occupied by the Municipal Council as the Town Hull, of Mr. H. C. Dangar. I remember the afternoon of the 30th December, 1869. The offices were closed at tho usual hour, 4 o'clock, that afternoon. The offices are in charge of Mrs. Macdonald, who with her husband and family, live. on the premises. I left at the usual hour on the 30th ultimo, and on my coming to thc office on tho following morning, I found a room occupied by the Engineer's clerk. James Walsh, had been damaged ...

CORRESPONDENCE. Mungarlowe, or Little River. [FROM OUR TRAVELLING MININO REPORTER.] FOLLOWING the Clyde Road out of Braidwood lb six milos, wo como to tho " Bluo Boll," having jus previously observed that tho Braidwood granito ha changed to Little River slato. A little beyond, th Warrambucca Creek is crossed by a bridge; an&amp;lt; turning off the Clyde Road to tho loft, and followinf tho course of this creek to its j unction with tho Littl River, wo find Mr. Francis' crushing mill in ful oporation. This mill, as well as the St. Vincent, on Fagan'i Crook, has boon erected under tho suporintondonci of tho energetic and enthusiastic Mr. Eisenstadter, i gentleman of quartz reefing celebrity in Victoria. I is driven by water power, of which it has a Pim supply, conducted by a flume 3 feet 0 inches wide and 16 inches deep, from tho dam to a breast wheo 15 feet in diamotor and C feet broad, with 24 buckets Thero aro two batteries of five stamps each, can shaft being drivon by a belt f...

Aquatics. ANNIVERSAR Y REGATTA, JANUARY 26. The annual regatta held to celebrate the anniversary of the foundation of the colony, promises to be, on its next birthday, the most successful aquatic tournament that has yet taken place in the colony. The programme, with list of prizes and courses, appears in the columns of this journal, and it cannot fail to give tho most un qualified satisfaction, both to yachting and rowing men ; and Mr. Driver and the gentlemen of the com mittee deserve every praise for the liberal prizes they have put forward. The prize for the first class yacht race is valued at £50, but it is yet doubtful how many entries this will bring forth. The Mistral and Xarifa have 'been out cruising, but it is not definitely known whether they will both enter. The race for second-class yachts will bring out a fine fleet, and it ought to be the race of the regatta. . For the Prince Alfred Yacht Eace a valuable cup has been presented by his Worship the Mayor, Walter Benny, E...

ADELAIDE. I saturday. There is not much doing in Avheat. ¡Small trans actions have taken placo at 4s. 3d. to 4s. 4d. por bushel, and sales of flour at £11 10s. per ton. A motion approving of tho general principle of guaranteeing interost on railways has been approved by tho Assembly. A magnificent flock of Angora goats was imported, por Collingrove, by Mr. Elder. Tho com market is very firm. 4s 4M has boon refused for wheat. Flour, £10 los to "£ll 10s. Monday. The unemployed resolved at an open-air meeting to petition Parliament to give them work. Tho Almanda crushing operations have boen sus pended. The oro is not paying. There is not much wheat offering ; it is worth 4s 4d per bushel. A corpse was found in a waterhole near Mount Pleasant ; it is supposed to have been a murder case. The name of tho deceased is not known. Mr. Bakewell, Crown Solicitor, is recovering. The weather is very hot, tho thermometer being 105 in the shado. Tho com market is very firm, but very quiet, with no...